Essential Oils in Workplaces, Spas and Schools: Shared-Air Etiquette and Safety

Safety first. Scent that one person enjoys can trigger symptoms in another. Anyone with difficulty breathing after exposure to a scent needs medical help; Poison Control says any allergic reaction with difficulty breathing should be treated as a medical emergency. [1] In the US, call 911. If anyone swallows an oil, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.

The question

Can you use essential oils or diffusers in a place where other people share the air? The sources we read give no single rule for workplaces, spas or schools. They do describe why shared scents are a health and fairness issue, and what scent-free policies look like.

Why shared air is different

Canada's occupational health agency (CCOHS) lists symptoms people report when they blame scented products, including headaches, dizziness, nausea and upper respiratory symptoms. [2] It also says exposure to scented products, even in the smallest amounts, can trigger other conditions, including in allergic and asthmatic people. [2] For people with asthma, see essential oils, asthma and breathing problems.

A clinical review of fragrance reactions says airborne contact dermatitis should always be suspected. [3] In other words, a skin rash can come from the air, not only from touching a product.

What a diffuser puts in the air

A 2022 laboratory experiment in a simulated office randomly placed 59 university students into four exposure conditions, including lemon oil from an ultrasonic diffuser versus water. Exposure to the emissions shortened reaction time but worsened impulse control and memory sensitivity. [4] The responses to scented lemon oil and to non-scented grapeseed oil were similar. [4] This is one small study of students, not workers. See diffusers and indoor air.

Workplaces

CCOHS describes scent-free policies and notes three points relevant to essential oils.

• There is no exact definition of "scent-free", "fragrance-free" or "unscented." [2]
• Products labeled scent-free may only mask a scent with another chemical. [2]
• A policy should not be limited to perfumes and colognes. [2]

CCOHS also says that, in Canada, environmental sensitivity is treated as a medical condition and accommodation is required under federal and provincial human rights laws. [2] Laws elsewhere differ and are not described in the sources we read. The FDA page says some fragrance products, such as air fresheners and scented candles, are regulated by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. [5]

Spas, salons and treatment rooms

Spas often use oils in massage and in room scent. The FDA notes that aromatherapy claims on soaps, lotions and massage oils, such as helping you sleep, can make a product a drug under US law. [5] The National Cancer Institute reports no professional standardization of aromatherapy in the US or UK and no license required to practice in either. [6] Names such as "aromatherapist" therefore do not tell you what training someone has. See aromatherapists: training and certification and aromatherapy massage.

If you react to a scent, you can ask for fragrance-free service. Clients with asthma, skin conditions, pregnancy or cancer treatment should mention it when booking.

One safety lesson from outside spas is about contamination. A New England Journal of Medicine report linked four non-travel-related cases of melioidosis, an uncommon infection, to the same strain found in an imported aromatherapy spray. [7] This was a contaminated product, not an essential oil effect, but it shows why unverified sprays are a concern.

Schools and child care

The sources we read do not describe school or child-care rules. They do say children have thin skin and immature livers, which might make them more susceptible to toxic effects, and that oils must be kept out of the sight and reach of children and pets. [1] Reed diffuser liquid is essential oil in rubbing alcohol and must be kept away from children. [1] See essential oils around babies and children. A school or child-care policy is set by the school; ask it directly.

Common-sense etiquette

CCOHS says a workable policy makes clear it applies to everyone, including visitors. [2] Asking before using a diffuser in a shared room is the simple version of that idea.